Never An Absolution
by lomear
Summary: Two boys board the Titanic, unaware of the twining of their fates. A young Egyptian aristocrat is bound for a life far away from his beloved homeland, and an orphaned boy with no one left to love him. [au, mostly friendship]


A/N: uuuummm...own nuthin' 'cept for maybe my atrocious writing X-D

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Chapter 1 Leaving Port

The day was ridiculously sunny and cheerful, with far too many people for Atemu's liking. He sniffed rather condescendingly as he gave the towering ship he was about to board an appraising eye.

"Atemu, is not the R.M.S. Titanic the most impressive thing you've ever laid eyes on?" Atemu's father said as he moved up next to his son.

"Hmph. I will not agree one way or the other," Atemu replied noncommittally, a thoroughly bored look in his crimson eyes. There was no dullness in his eyes and yet no glitter of life either.

"Come, let us board my son." His father said almost grimly. This was not to be a voyage for pleasure and both were all too aware of it.

* * *

A diminutive youth of perhaps fifteen summers bounded toward the docks as the ship's horn blasted, announcing it's immanent departure. Though he was unusually small for his age, it in no way hampered how fast he could run. His innocent eyes were a rare shade of amethyst and full of joy.

He deftly ducked and wove around the clusters of people screaming and waving goodbye to their loved ones. Almost there, just a little bit further he told himself. With a final spurt of energy he raced and caught the last ramp just as it was being raised. "Wait! Wait for me! I've got a ticket, see, see?" He waved it around enthusiastically as proof.

A crewman smiled and offered a hand to help him up which Yuugi accepted gratefully. "Did you miss boarding with your parents?"

"No," Yuugi said softly, "I'm alone."

"I don't know if I should let you on...seeing as you haven't had your ticket properly looked over and gone through normal third class procedures," he said dubiously, eyeing the small child up and down.

"Please! If you do that it'll be too late and I won't get to go. Can't I be checked on board? I really did pay for the ticket, I promise. Please..." he rambled off in one breath, eyes pleading.

"Well...I suppose..."

"Thank you!" Yuugi said relieved.

"Welcome. You better get going. Hold on, see that man in uniform there? You need to show your ticket to him, and he will direct you to where you can be inspected."

Yuugi grinned. He clambered up and held onto the railing as he rapidly made his way onto the deck. It was crowded beyond belief with waving people, calling goodbyes down to their loved ones. After wedging carefully between various people, he finally managed to find himself a spot with a good view of the departing port. Though he had no one to wave goodbye too, he did it anyway just for the fun of it.

A brisk wind came up off the swelling sea waves and blew everyone's hair back Yuugi inhaled the scent of it deeply.

* * *

Somewhere not far away, a young man with striking hair in three colors lounged against the deck railing and stared through half closed eyes, the very picture of jaded boredom. His father stood not to far off, watching his son with fretful concern. Atemu had not always been this way...there had been a time with he enjoyed life and smiled frequently. But no more. What had caused the change? He wondered.

Atemu lazily slanted his gaze to the left. Suddenly, something caught his attention and his eyes snapped open wide in curiosity. Leaning out a little on the railing to get a better view, he couldn't believe what he saw. A head of hair that matched his own spike for spike, color for color. There was no way on this earth anyone else besides himself could have that wild of hair and not be related somehow. The only relation he knew of that possessed such a shock of hair was his Grandfather, way back in Egypt.

Egypt...

How he longed to be back there again under the hot sun and see the burning desert sands he knew so well, that flowed in his bloodline. Instead he was a prisoner in a foreign land in a climate that he hated. It was sunny today, to be sure, but it wasn't warm.

Father couldn't possibly understand how he felt. Feeling a jolt of anger he viciously twisted a piece of hair.

There was a burning inside to be free, but he was trapped with no way out of a fate that his father was forcing upon him.

His depressive thoughts were interrupted by the movement of the other boy with the same hair as his.

Something stirred within him.


End file.
